Another Cat Lost at an Airport: George Goes Missing From Air Canada Flight

Another cat has gone missing at an airport. This brings to mind for most of us the case of Jack the Cat , who is still missing 38 days after his peculiar disappearance from the baggage area of American Airlines at New York’s JFK airport. George’s case is similar to Jack’s in that he somehow escaped or was released from his carrier, in a manner that does not add up for the petmom.

Vanessa Summerfield planned to send George from Fort McMurray AB back east to live with her family in Ontario until she could find an affordable pet-friendly place to live in Fort McMurray. George went missing from the Air Canada plane’s cargo hold during a stopover in Edmonton on September 23.

The airline says there was a part missing from Georg’es carrier, which enabled him to escape, and reports that a baggage handler managed to catch George and return him to his carrier, but that he escaped again when being moved from the gate to the baggage room. The airline says an examination of the carrier showed that a bolt was missing. Ms. Summerfield has said, “When I left him it wasn’t missing, so I’m not sure how it happened, but he managed to get out twice.”

The airline has created missing cat posters, which are placed so employees, fliers, the general public and security personnel can all see them and possibly help notify staff if the missing cat is seen. They are also putting out cat food for George. Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah said of the search for George, “Our cargo staff spent several hours searching the ramp areas last weekend, and every day we continue to monitor these areas closely.” Ms. Mah also said the airline has been in close contact with Ms. Summerfield and that instances of animals becoming lost from Air Canada flights are rare.

Ms. Summerfield was quoted saying, “I was hysterical, upset, angry, I just couldn’t believe this actually happened.” She has said that there was nothing wrong with George’s carrier when she took him to the airport, and she still hopes that her missing cat is found.

Airport security personnel and construction crews are on the lookout but George has not been seen.

Two such heartbreaking incidents in as many months give many of us pause when we consider the prospect of entrusting our beloved pets to airlines.

i shipped 2 x cats from SFO to London, i guess i( and pets) were lucky- i’m never comming back until airlines realise that live annimals ARE NOT BAGGAGE ! they take thousands of $$$$$$$ for a service they cannot provide safely, its a scandal ! All this happening in open ended hangers that would scare the cr** out of a human – disgraceful !

Poor George, I am sorry to hear this happened to him. I hope Air Canada can find him quickly and return him to Ms. Summerfield. Obviously, pets being shipped as cargo (baggage) is not working; other measures need to be taken to correct this situation.

We (at The Animal House Jamaica)) ship animals to Canada and the US all the time and generally speaking most airlines are very careful. We have had very good experience with Air Canada (as opposed to American Airlines which lost Jack) and can vouch for them. What happened to poor George is very unusual for them. What is extra sad is that he was caught and then escaped again. But…hopefully he will eventually be found.

Hi Maureen,
Thank you for your comments reminding us of the benefits of flying animals … especially in rescue cases. Would you like to tell the other side of the story by either writing a piece or working with me on one?
I would be happy for the piece to feature your Animal House Jamaica and its mission.
Karen

So sad to hear this. Glad you mentioned Jack because their stories are so similar. Owners trying to do right & airlines not living up to properly caring for these lives entrusted to them. Animals are NOT baggage & should not be treated as such.

George is a handsome fella; he will be in my prayers along with Jack. This just makes me so sick; I know his owner would have checked the carrier prior to taking him to the airport………excuses excuses………this is awful!

Some airlines do a lot of things wrong (like American Airlines for example) but it isn’t every airline that is careless with animals. Hundreds of thousands of animals are shipped annually without incident. At the moment we don’t have a better option to give our rescued animals a second chance in a loving home and so we will take the chance. So far it has wrked out very well.

Nobody seems to do their jobs properly any more, yes there could have been a bolt missing after the cage was thrown again. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had kitties all my life 73 years, and they always have been my babies, I only have one now, who is suchwho is such a sweetheart to me, if anything happened to her, I would just give up, altogether. loudsntrees@msn.com

Nobody seems to do their jobs properly any more, yes there could have been a bolt missing after the cage was thrown again. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had kitties all my life 73 years, and they always have been my babies, I only have one now, who is suchwho is such a sweetheart to me, if anything happened to her, I would just give up, altogether. cloudsntreesmsn.com Carene W.

Between the gate and the baggage room, where he escaped, chances are almost 100% he is within 0-100 feet of where he escaped. They need to be setting food and humane traps all through that area. It would help to spray the area with Feliway and catnip spray, anything to help calm him down enough to venture to the food. It is very noisy and they will just hide unless they can get the food close enough to him.

This happened in Vancouver Airport last year too, and the cat survived 64 days. The airline (Lufthansa) apparently lost interest in leaving food and water after it wasn’t eaten for the first week. Every night after it got quiet, she must have been coming out to the door of the baggage area, because that is where her body was found the day she died, right in front of the doors, within 50 feet of where she escaped.

Can someone please find a way to contact the owner and insist that they consult a cat rescue in how to properly set food and traps for this cat?

Thank you all for the support! I am ony way to edmonton today to see if i can get him to come out. They have safe traps out and lots of food. George has been spotted several times and one person came within 10 feet of him. I hope today will be a happy ending to this nightmare! Thanks again for the support!

I hope today is the day you bring George home I have been following Jack the cat missing at JFK and I saw Georges picture on there and my heart sank your George looks alot like my Jimmy. Best of luck to you on a happy ending to this nightmare.

I suggest you start a facebook page for George The Lost Cat. A lot of people who are FOJ’s will help to take action for Air Canda to step up their search efftorst to find lost cat george in the airport. They will also post their ideas, tips, strategy, and plans to assist with the search to find George the lost cat. Time is critical as George is still not found. If you do not know how to do this, perhaps I may be able to create a page for you but we would need to email each other so that I can post your thoughts and views on other people’s comments.

I pray that George will be found very soon with a safe return to be reunited with you Vanessa. God Bless you, George, and your family!!

Please write her again (or I can if you can give me contact info) regarding a post Edwina left on Jack the Cat’s FB when I posted George’s photo:
Pet Psychic Edwina: This little dude is in a similar predicament. Down low, between 2 edges, possibly stuck, terrified, wants to go home, near last seen & hungry. I’ve got a lot of readings to do so I’m trying not to ‘give myself away’ otherwise I’ll never ge…t my work done, but George keeps popping up in front of me! Feel free to pass on this info. I have got to get some (paid) work done! George is inside, and between 2 ledges or shelves or something similar.Thanks!

I posted George’s poster on Jack the Cat’s FB page and received the following comment from Edwina, Pet Psychic:
Pet Psychic Edwina: This little dude is in a similar predicament. Down low, between 2 edges, possibly stuck, terrified, wants to go home, near last seen & hungry. I’ve got a lot of readings to do so I’m trying not to ‘give myself away’ otherwise I’ll never get my work done, but George keeps popping up in front of me! Feel free to pass on this info. I have got to get some (paid) work done! George is inside, and between 2 ledges or shelves or something similar.
Please pass this on to the owner of the cat as I don’t know how to get in touch with her and keep praying for this kitty. Thanks!

Anyone know about know any news and update about if George is found yet? I am worried for the precious cute cat as he looks like my black and white tuxedo cat. I pray that George will be found very soon and have a safe return to be reunited back with his owner. God Bless you George!!

I saw on Jack’s FB page that someone on there called the number on the poster and spoke with someone. They said there have been sightings and now they’re trying to coax him out with treats.
Keep praying for this little guy.

Hi Kay,
Where are you unable to post? Life With Cats does not have you blocked. Let me know if I can help.
You can contact me by using the contact form at the top of this page, if you like.
Regards,
Karen

Hi again, Kay.
I discovered what happened. Because your name links to another site (in this case the Jack The Cat Facebook page) in your earlier comment, the automated service we use to filter out spam (which we get a lot of) mistakenly flagged your comment as spam. I found it and restored it to the discussion here.
K.

Also, will the airlines let people double-crate their pets? I.e. You put the pet in a carrier and then put that carrier in a slightly larger carrier? And zip-tie both of them, of course. Then when the idiot baggage handlers let the crates topple, as they seem to be doing all too often, maybe at least the inner carrier would not break open on impact?

I’m not even in Alberta, so I’m not sure what I can do from here. I have contacted a rescue that, according to them, was contacted when George went missing. I’ve had no response from them as of yet. I will try to contact the number on George’s poster and see if someone is willing to entertain that idea. I have not read about George since the original story broke the news. Someone needs to provide an update. I don’t want him to end up like poor, little Jack in NYC.

Hi Claudia. My friend who knows something about thermal imaging technolgoy felt it would probably work and be able to pick up George through a wall or celing. I think they should operate on the principle he is still within a few hundred feet of where he was last sighted, and radiate out from there. If they don’t do it, they are giving up way too soon.

Also, George seemed to be more approachable at first, so if he is in a wall, he might be stuck over a room where there are regular human voices, but he can’t find a way in (like Jack, over the Customs room?). The cat rescue that helped originally needs to get permission to use the thermal imaging and follow the cat behaviour predictions based on George’s profile.

George is still capable of surviving. He may have found a water source through even condensation if he were near pipes. He may have had some food. But time is getting critical.

I’m not on Facebook, but could people active on Jack’s Facebook page try to help George now?

I was hoping you were on FB because I’m not, either. I posted at Air Canada on Google+ and will see if there is a response, but there is someone (Robin Cordray) from Jack’s site that has gotten a response on Air Canada’s FB site that they continue to put food out and they’ve had cats come and eat but not George. It sounded, though, that they had been putting food out OUTSIDE and not indoors, but I don’t know that for sure.

Is there someone here on FB that can post at Air Canada’s site on the thread about George. The last comment was Monday. You have to go to older posts and it starts like this:

Robin Cordray
“We’d very much like to have an update on the search for George the Cat lost in the Edmonton airport. Thank you.”

There are 8 comments after that. Air Canada is watching for those comments.

If someone could please post the idea about the thermal imaging camera, it just might help. Please post back here if anyone has been able to post my idea on FB.

Also, about my double-crating idea, the inner carrier could be one of the soft-sided zipper/nylon mesh types, the outer, a bolted zip-tied hard carrier. Then if the outer carrier toppled, the inner one, with cat zipped safely inside, would definitely not break open. That would be the safest way, maybe the only safe way, to transport a pet. You can get a sturdy soft-sided carrier for $20 at Walmart, a small price to pay for added safety.

i still think someone should start a Face Book page for George and we could link it up with Air Canada’s page. People are veiwing Jacks page every minute of the day from all over the world- there are over 25,000+ Friends of Jack- they are all disgusted how nothing was done in the end. We begged them to take in Thermal Imaging and a ‘push camera’ – or endescope like someone else has mentioned here. It sounds like they have a set response to peoples messages- it all sounds very familiar and if you were following Jacks sad story from the beggining you will know what i mean- and why FOJ’s are fearing the worst for poor George.I could copy and paste your ideas and put them on AC’s wall on FB- but really think you should consider joining Face Book yourselves ( those who hav’nt yet, why not open one in your fav pets name if you want to remain a private party.

Kay, please post our ideas. I’ll try to re-activate my Facebook but I’m technologically challenged, even when I get it going, can’t seem to get things posted …

I KNOW George has at least 5 1/2 to 6 weeks to be found and still live and lead a semi-normal life, even if he had zero nutrition and fluids. My friend’s cat was trapped a year ago for 5 1/2 weeks without food and water, then found, and was brought back from the brink. She has never regained her weight but is happy and loved and needs only daily small meds to keep her going. And she was 12 when she had her ordeal, George is younger and stronger.

As for the airlines, how can we make them respond? Pet detectives KNOW with the proper understanding of cat behaviour and equipment and persistence, even cats in scary situations can be recovered.

I thought George was being seen inside the building. Can someone get a map of the area from Air Canada? If he was inside, and he’s not eating the outside food, then he’s probably still inside. Air Canada should hire Jenne Mundy, a cat profiler from Texas, and if she received a map and the details of George’s personality from the owner, plus his observed behaviour when he was being sighted, I think she could hazard a pretty good capture plan. Shei s a very down-to-earth person with years of experience. She has a website.

The airlines don’t care though — they treat pets like this as “missing baggage” covered by the Montreal Protocol. If George isn’t found, they will give the owner a couple thousand dollars at a pat on the shoulder.

I have tried setting up a FB page but it keeps asking me for my mobile phone number to verify that I’m a real human being and I don’t have a cell phone, so I’m locked out of the account. I have posted to the Air Canada Google+ page with the hopes that they see it and respond. If you or someone else who actually has the ability to post to FB, I would really appreciate it. Maybe Air Canada or Edmonton International will let someone on the property to do this type of investigation.

I was involved in my city with another cat lost at the Airport by Westjet a few years ago. We never found her but I, and others, were let on to the military grounds, other air transport company grounds and the golf course beside the airport to help look. They were all very accommodating. West Jet, not as concerned.

I still haven’t gotten a response from “Little Cats Lost” in Edmonton regarding their efforts to find George and what and if they’re doing anything now.

If you need me to, I can set up a FB page. Then other FB users can be added as administrators as needed. I can also then remove myself as administrator. I’ll be busy for the next couple of hours, but can do it later tonight if you like. (I’m in Ontario)

Someone should put an ad on Kijiji, Edmonton – Lost and Found is under the “Community” heading. Kijiji ads can be shared by email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Try their page now. If you “like” their page, then go to your own wall, you can post comments to them that will appear on their wall if you use @Air Canada in your status update. There must be no space between the @ symbol and Air Canada. : )

I requested that they create a FB note with photos and updates about George.

I found my note. It is not deleted. It was started Monday this week. November 7th… You have to scroll back quite a ways. I believe I also posted on Wednesday because Lynne Scott from Craig Street Cats posted a suggestion to use thermal imaging device to look in walls and ceiling.
I copied the thread on Air Canada’s wall and emailed it to myself. It follows:

Robin Cordray and 3 other people commented on your post on Air Canada’s wall.
Robin Cordray
We’d very much like to have an update on the search for George the Cat lost in the Edmonton airport. Thank you.
Like · · 6 minutes agoLinda Schodowsky and Debbie Daugherty McClendon like this.

Alexis Antonakis Have you tried asking EIA?
Monday at 11:08am · Like
Robin Cordray I will thank you!
Monday at 11:09am · Like
Sue Todd Air Canada will more than likely reply, they did to me last week
Monday at 12:10pm · Like · 1
Air Canada Hi Robin,

Our cargo staff spent several hours searching the ramp areas last weekend, and every day we continue to monitor the areas closely. We have had some cat’s show up at our cargo door due to the food we have put out but unfortunately none have been George. The Town of Leduc which is closest to the airport & Municipal services are also keeping an eye out for him as well. Thanks
Monday at 2:50pm · Like · 2
Robin Cordray Thanks for answering. We are worried, many of us Friends of Jack, hoping that George may be found and saved. I’m sure that you know about the anger many have towards American Airlines doing way too little way to late to find Jack the Cat. We also know that Air Canada and the Edmonton International Airport seem to be trying harder to recover George. Please don’t give up!
Monday at 3:09pm · Like · 1
Debbie Daugherty McClendon Thank you for giving us an update.
Monday at 3:11pm · Like · 1
Duane Clark Oh brother
Monday at 8:34pm · Like
Wendy Lee That sucks I hope your cat is found, they could put an insulated small container outside so he would have something to go into if stuck outside.
Tuesday at 6:53pm · Like
Lynne Scott I received this suggestion from a friend who does not have access to facebook and asked me to post it for her: I read about George the cat who is lost at Edmonton International Airport. I was wondering, in addition to putting out cat food and alerting workers, would you consider allowing someone with a thermal imaging camera into the area where he was lost to see if they can detect him in the walls or ceiling? Jack the cat in NYC was in the drop ceiling of the area he was initially lost in. No one can be sure that George is outside and there aren’t many other options for locating him. Time is of the essence.
18 hours ago · Like
Robin Cordray Good suggestion, Lynne. I wonder if we need to repost that to Air Canada because they may not be reading this anymore… I’m going to look at the site again.
9 minutes ago · Like
Air Canada Edmonton International Airport is designed differently then JFK, in which there is no ceiling crawl space in the area.
7 minutes ago · Like
Robin Cordray Thank you for responding Air CAnada! I was just looking around on your wall trying to decide where to highlight Lynne’s suggestion to!
6 minutes ago · Like
Air Canada Due to the Freedom of Information & Privacy act of Alberta we’re unable to comment any further on this matter. Thanks
4 minutes ago · Like

Odd that they’re saying FIPPA. In Alberta it’s FOIP. Wonder if the person responding is from another province. Anyway, this is what FOIP is and the general public can request information through this act. Not sure that AC falls under that jurisdiction, though, because they are not a government body. It just sounds official to say “we don’t want to talk about it” by citing an official act.

Actually whom ever said that a thermal imaging camera wouldn’t find him in a wall in COMPLETELY WRONG. I have played with a fire dept camera before. You can see a foot print, a hand print on the other side of the door long after the hand was removed. And you can watch the hand print slowly disappear. So yes this can help find George. That’s why fire departments have these cameras….to find people. Someone should just call the closest fire department to see if they would be interested in helping search for him.

Hi Stephanie. I posted earlier that my friend who knows about thermal agreed it WOULD probably work, in case that was a misunderstanding! The only part I added was that I felt George might likely be within a few hundred feet of where he was last sighted, if he is trapped inside a wall or ceiling, like Jack. So the thermal imaging would need to start doing an intensive search very close to the last sightings.

DOES anyone know how far from the escape point the Customs room is, where Jack fell through the ceiling? I suspect it was not far away, but if anyone knows, please inform us — it may help with George’s search.

Also, how does the airport know George is not eating the outside food being left? Have they set up motion-activated surveillance cams at the food dishes, are they just going on casual sightings, or are they trapping the outdoors eaters? And what are cats doing at the Edmonton Airport anyway? That seems a long way from the nearest home. (My cats only go up to two or three houses away on the occasions I let them out.)

However, if George was being seen inside, and is not being trapped outside, he is probably still inside and hiding near the last sighting (or maybe further away if he is travelling through the ceiling, that is, if Jack travelled a long way in the ceiling). Tessa, let out by a negligent Lufthansa baggage handler, died at the Vancouver International Airport last year — after 65 days, she walked out into the open and died, within 50-100 feet of where she escaped. Because of Lufthansa’s arrogant and unhelpful attitude, preventing the owner access to search with the dog who knew and loved Tessa well, the owner’s only option was to focus on the outside search. And she thought this a reasonable option because there were no sightings of Tessa by Lufthansa staff inside (not that anyone was trying to find her after a few days). That was a mistake everyone assumed she must be out because of no sightings, but she was just hiding the whole time and not risking meowing to blow her cover. So the search for George inside must continue alongside the outside search.

I have emailed the Edmonton Humane Society and the reporter from the Edmonton Sun who wrote the original story about George. I’m hoping someone can get me the right connection to have my suggestion dealt with. I just can’t believe it’s THIS hard to find someone to talk to about this. I will also try to call the numbers on the poster again. I’ve also asked the Edmonton Sun to do a follow up on the story.

I was able to get the name and phone numbers for two people at the airport who are in charge of things. Unfortunately, one of them won’t be in until Monday but the other might be in tomorrow. I will try again but am thinking because it’s Remembrance Day, they might not be in. I passed on the idea to the person I spoke to and maybe word will get out that way as well. Will keep all posted.

Very sad news about Jack. He was euthanized due to the extent of his injuries and poor physical condition from lack of food and water. Injuries included burns to his back.

When I looked on Kijiji.ca for info about lost cats, I didn’t see George posted there. I successfully helped recover my sister’s lost kitten by using a Kijiji ad. I hope someone will post an ad because then more people can share it & watch for him.

Has anyone from the non-profit Missing Pet Partnership or any of their certified and trained detectives or consultants been contacted about George’s case? Info is on the MPP website. There’s one listed to consult from Ontario.

I would be interested to hear Kat Albrecht review both George and Jack’s cases to see if better prevention and recovery guidelines can be implemented at airports. Ideally, I’d like airports to work with her to improve those things; lost pets need to be found ASAP, & past cases show that more can be done! (See Kat’s blog)

“Kat Albrecht is a former police officer-turned-pet-detective who is pioneering the science of finding lost pets. She has trained search dogs to locate missing people, criminals, physical evidence, and lost pets.”

She is the “only law-enforcement-based pet detective in the United States. Using investigative techniques such as search probability theory, behavioral profiling, searches with cat-detection dogs, scent-trailing dogs, and high-tech equipment, Kat Albrecht has already trained over 125 pet detectives in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Ireland who have helped thousands of pet owners locate their lost pets.” http://www.katalbrecht.com/

“Missing Pet Partnership is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to reuniting lost companion animals with their owners/guardians. Our website offers behavior-based lost pet recovery tips and referrals to lost pet services. We operate the first-ever volunteer lost pet search-and-rescue team (in Seattle, WA) that offers cutting edge lost pet recovery techniques like pet detectives with search dogs, lost dog protests, window tagging to market lost dogs in a community, and motion activated wildlife cameras with feeding stations to detect and capture displaced cats.”http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/index.php

The MPP site also recommends cat owners check out Cats In The Bag which has an ever increasing amount of recovery info about finding lost cats, http://www.Catsinthebag.org

The No Kill Advocacy Center, many organizations and cities, including Calgary, agree that much more can be done to help reunite lost pets with their worried families instead of them ending up in a shelter where they could be killed, or taking up precious space in rescue groups. Such policies are known as “proactive redemption” and are part of the No Kill Equation. http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/

We can do more to recover lost pets!
If more cities, shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, and others would make pet owners aware of the MPP site, Kat’s blog and the Cats In The Bag website, pet owners and volunteers would have more info about lost pet behaviour and successful pet recovery techniques.

See, that article is unhelpful and propagates the ideas that cause cats not to be found. For starters, the idea Jack was “roaming” in the airport for two months. Instead, the article should have detailed WHERE Jack escaped and HOW FAR from where he was found. Dogs might roam, but cats HIDE in extremely scary situations. I very much doubt Jack ‘roamed” far at all, even within the ceiling. I WISH we could get relevant information about Jack — this would help know where to search for George, if only the airports would drop their attitude that it’s not worth it to get thermal imaging or too overwhelming. Kat Albrecht could most certainly recover George already, knowing cat behaviour, if she were allowed to accompany people and direct them with thermal imaging. This is just so sad. The news articles have a chance to help educate people on lost cat behaviour, but they just provided easy soundbites. Also, it is wonderful that Jack’s website got so many people on board, but in reality, it takes one experienced cat behaviour aware person to find Jack in time, or George still with time.

Thank you Claudia for all the work you are doing to contact people in the search! If I can help phone numbers, please let me know and I will ask the editor here to give you my contact info. I’m in Vancouver.

The reason it matters that they stop treating it as if Jack and George “roamed” is because airports are huge, and if they are roaming miles and miles, it makes finding them virtually impossible and lets the airline off the hook. It is too overwhelming if you had to thermal a whole airport, couldn’t be done in months. But in reality, you probably only need a day of thermal searching, and probably the cats are CLOSE to where they escaped. If that were publicized, then it WOULDN’T let these negligent airlines off the hook. It would show they are being stupid and uncaring after their negligence and false advertizing about safe pet transport.

I agree. I have been to a pet detective’s site and spoken with her (on the East coast in Canada) and I know cats do hide nearby. If he escaped to the outside (and I don’t know the layout of the area), he would have been spotted eating the food they put out. I’m sure the ferals in the area are eating well. The other scenario, if he is outside is that the ferals are keeping him away. He would be the unwelcome guest and would be treated as such. They wouldn’t let him have any of the food and he might be afraid of them as well and stay away.

I actually think he’s still in the building. Do these places not have security cameras? If he was spotted going outside, then, fine, but otherwise, you can’t assume he isn’t inside.

Someone is trying to get hold of a person at Jack’s site for me. We’ll see if she contacts me. This could be helpful as she had been in contact with those looking for George. I’ve also contacted a thermal-imaging professional and am waiting for his response.

I’ve read the pet detective sites too during the three months it took us to find and recapture our missing cat in winter 2008/2009. Since then, where possible I have used the knowledge to help find a dozen cats in my area of Vancouver who the owners gave up on or didn’t know how to find them or doing their search all wrong. Some of those cats were found at feral feeding stations (along with others I heard about but was not involved in). Cats living feral often tolerate a new cat, they may not like them to pieces but they do let them in, in my experience. It’s unstressed pet cats guarding their own turf who are often really mean and territorial. I have personally video’d two lost cats with my trail cam showing up and eating at established feral feeding stations. They may not get to eat first, but they eat, if enough food is put out.

Indoor or outdoor though — think about it. Without a map we are guessing, because maybe there was a hole to the outside within feet of George’s last sighting. But … think about your cats. When you burn something cooking and the smoke alarm goes off, or if there’s a bad thunderstorm, do they run out the window or cat door? Only one of my cats ever did. The others always hide — in the closet, under the bedframe, under the comforter, in the attic, and don’t come out till after the horrible scary thing ceases. But the horrible scary noise never ceases at an airport for very long, and it’s not home either. In a constantly noisy, scary airport, George is probably in utter hide mode, like Jack, like Tessa, like the Westjet cat you never found who probably died in the walls too.

I also suspect when George was sighted near the beginning, the persons who saw him rushed toward him or called him with excitement, further scaring him back and reinforcing to him not to come out again. If there’s a quiet time in the part of the airport he is, it’s possible George sneaked outside, if there’s a nearby opening, but I strongly doubt it. If he is out there though, and the traps are set in appropriate spots near hidey holes adjacent to the buildings, you would like he would go into the traps soon, if they are actually still setting them.

Anyway, the outdoors search is apparently ongoing with food stations, sans George. I’m assuming they are trapping the cats there and taking them somewhere (hopefully not the Edmonton Humane Society, which is a kill shelter and would certainly kill ferals). I really hope those cats are going to a no-kill rescue because they probably are like the NYC cats that were trapped in Jack’s search, found not to be true ferals and totally adoptable once they’re been brought inside.

Claudia, you are doing a remarkable job. My big concern is, I wonder if Vanessa has given up? I really hope not. I think she may be the one who needs to push hard for permission from whoever is in charge of the investigation to allow the thermal equipment operator you contacted to enter the area with direction from a pet detective. Another group who might have that equipment is Canadian Forces Base, Edmonton. They need to practise using their equipment — surely this would be a good practice scenario.

When I looked on Kijiji.ca for info about lost cats, I didn’t see George posted there. I successfully helped recover my sister’s lost kitten by using a Kijiji ad. I hope someone will post an ad because then more people can share it & watch for him.

Has anyone from the non-profit Missing Pet Partnership or any of their certified and trained detectives or consultants been contacted about George’s case? Info is on the MPP website. There’s one listed to consult from Ontario.

I would be interested to hear Kat Albrecht review both George and Jack’s cases to see if better prevention and recovery measures can be implemented at airports. Ideally, I’d like airports to work with her to improve those things; lost pets need to be found ASAP, & past cases show that more can be done! (See Kat’s blog)

“Kat Albrecht is a former police officer-turned-pet-detective who is pioneering the science of finding lost pets. She has trained search dogs to locate missing people, criminals, physical evidence, and lost pets.”

She is the “only law-enforcement-based pet detective in the United States. Using investigative techniques such as search probability theory, behavioral profiling, searches with cat-detection dogs, scent-trailing dogs, and high-tech equipment, Kat Albrecht has already trained over 125 pet detectives in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Ireland who have helped thousands of pet owners locate their lost pets.” http://www.katalbrecht.com/

“Missing Pet Partnership is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to reuniting lost companion animals with their owners/guardians. Our website offers behavior-based lost pet recovery tips and referrals to lost pet services. We operate the first-ever volunteer lost pet search-and-rescue team (in Seattle, WA) that offers cutting edge lost pet recovery techniques like pet detectives with search dogs, lost dog protests, window tagging to market lost dogs in a community, and motion activated wildlife cameras with feeding stations to detect and capture displaced cats.”http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/index.php

The MPP site also recommends cat owners check out Cats In The Bag which has an ever increasing amount of recovery info about finding lost cats, http://www.Catsinthebag.org

The No Kill Advocacy Center, many organizations and cities, including Calgary, agree that much more can be done to help reunite lost pets with their worried families instead of them ending up in a shelter where they could be killed, or taking up precious space in rescue groups. Such policies are known as “proactive redemption” and are part of the No Kill Equation. http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/

We can do more to recover lost pets!
If more cities, shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, and others would make pet owners aware of the MPP site, Kat’s blog and the Cats In The Bag website, pet owners and volunteers would have more info about lost pet behaviour and successful pet recovery techniques.

There’s no way that Air Canada is going to hire someone from the US to do anything. Having some experience dealing with the lost cat from Westjet in the past, I know they are prepared to do the least possible. I will be ecstatic if they allow the thermographer in there to do a scan of the building and surrounding yards. If there are live animals on the property nearby, they’ll be seen loud and clear against the cold ground.

If I can get this done and nothing comes of it, then I can say it’s the best I could do from where I am.

Very sad news about Jack. He was euthanized due to the extent of his injuries and poor physical condition from lack of food and water. Injuries included burns to his back.

When I looked on Kijiji.ca for info about lost cats, I didn’t see George posted there. I successfully helped recover my sister’s lost kitten by using a Kijiji ad. I hope someone will post an ad because then more people can share it & watch for him.

Has anyone from the non-profit Missing Pet Partnership or any of their certified and trained detectives or consultants been contacted about George’s case? Info is on the MPP website. There’s one listed to consult from Ontario.

OK, I found Robin Cordray’s post but not on AC’s wall. I have saved the page. Air Canada responded that their baggage area has no ceiling to get into so I’m assuming it’s a deck ceiling — like a warehouse. Of course, I’m sure they have walls but this may be a building that is separate from other buildings. I’ll have to see what’s possible from the contact in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, if anyone can send Robin Cordray a message for me on her FB page, so we can get in touch, I’d really appreciate it.

OMG, Robin! I had seen your posts about George at AC and their responses. I was wondering if you had been involved with the search for George at all or if you had spoken with anyone at AC by phone. I have some more questions, too and am going to email the editor here to ask if she can pass along my email address to you. I had also seen that Bonnie Folz (FoJ) may have also been involved with the search for George at some point and am trying to get hold of her as well.

What is Georges Face Book page name ? here is the link to air Canada on FB, you might have to ‘like’ the page before you can comment. Do not be surprised if your comments are removed like ours were ! If the link doesnt work type ‘Air Canada’ into your Face Book page search Box, theirs has a red maple leaf in Avi. and has customer complaints on their thread at the moment . https://www.facebook.com/aircanada

in the meantime i have ‘shared ‘ Georges link ( this one) on my FB wall again and clicked the ‘tweet’ apt at top right of this page.- Tomorrow i will start a Twitter Campaign- get all your frinds to keep ‘sharing’ and ‘Tweeting’ we need a bigger ‘Georges Army’ !

Kay, that’s awesome! If AC sees that there is an army of people watching them, they may allow more to be done by the public than is already being done. I wish I would have heard back from the rescue group that was supposed to be going out there to set up humane traps. They’re a very small group but they sound dedicated. Not sure why I haven’t heard back. They do have a FB page “Little Cats Lost.” Would be nice to know there are boots on the ground in Edmonton.

From one of their posts:

“We were also contacted by the gals in New York who rescued a domestic cat, Jack, who was lost at JFK airport, who they subsequently found…why you ask? Well George the Cat was recently lost here at EIA and they are asking for our help to locate him.”

I just liked Air Canada on FB. Then I put a comment on my wall with @Air Canada in it. This means it shows up as a post on Air Canada’s wall! Not sure if they will be able to remove it or not. I asked them to create a FB note with photos and updates about George. Here’s hoping!

The last comment I saw from Air Canada was that they weren’t going to comment anymore about it citing FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Privacy Act) probably because they are either being inundated with calls about it or because they can’t disclose certain information due to security. I will try to call my contact today but I doubt they’ll be in because of the holiday. At worst, I will call on Monday.

I have spoken to a licensed thermographer who is more than willing to go out to AC and check the site. What I need to get clear, though, is whether George took off outside or if he ran off inside somewhere. From what I am reading, it sounds like he may have run off outside and that’s why they’re focusing their efforts on the immediate loading area and surrounding town of Leduc.

If that’s the case, the thermographer assured me that he would be able to detect little warm bodies outside for quite a distance. So, if George is hiding out somewhere near an outbuilding (and there are many), he can be found with this equipment.

I need to speak with someone regarding what has already been done to date and ongoing efforts. I’m hoping to hear back from the reporter at the Edmonton Sun so that he may be able to pass on my contact info to Ms. Summerfield. I don’t even know that she knows that there are a lot of people concerned and trying to help. Sometimes, the only way a company CAN act is on the request of the person who owns the pet.

That’s fantastic! I can’t comment on there, but I can follow it. I will be talking to some people at AC and EIA on Monday at the latest and can follow up with you. Maybe one of those people would be willing to be a liaison.

Just to respond to your post above, because there wasn’t a reply button available:

I guess some cats react differently than others. I had one that, when I burnt food, she would desperately scratch at the door to get out and I’ve had some who don’t care and others who hide. I guess all scenarios have to be covered.

Google Earth has a good view of the airport and I guess it’s going to depend on where they do baggage transfers there. I know here, the cat that was lost by another airline escaped outside. There are homes that surround the airport and the focus was on an area search. Unfortunately, this particular cat had no ID at all and was all black — almost impossible to tell her from other black cats and she may have been picked up and brought in, but no one would be able to positively ID her. I always hoped that was the case.

As far as any “ferals” that have been trapped. If the people on the ground are taking care of the traps, chances are the cats are just being released because they’re not George. I may be wrong on that one but there’s no one for me to ask right now.

Someone, somehow, should try to let Vanessa know that the search is still on as far as we’re concerned and not to give up hope. There are an awful lot of pets being reunited with their people 5 months after the Joplin tornado. If George is outside, that’s his best scenario for survival, but it may be tough to find him. Hopefully, he’s friendly enough that he’d ask for help eventually if he can.

I sure hope he was being seen outside the building. I think his chances go up many-fold if that is where he was seen. At least he can drink and possibly catch mice or rats or scavenge. If there are closeby outbuildings, it makes sense he is sheltering in one of those, unless the Leduc residences are VERY close to the airport. I don’t think most cats will run long distances with no cover.

If Little Cats Lost is doing the trapping, if they are like the cat rescue here in Vancouver, they will take any ferals and at least check for tattoos, check for them having been spayed and neutered and do it, if not, and observe them indoors to see if they tame down. The rescue here does not put cats back until they have caught all the cats in a colony, to avoid recapturing the same cats.

Will the people’s numbers on the poster help us contact Vanessa and the Little Cats Lost? If George is outside, I think his chances are great to be alive and in reasonably good shape. Our lost cat survived three months including six weeks of sub-zero weather when missing in the winter of 2008/2009. And yes, cats often take months to retrieve. Another lady found her cat the same winter, missing since August 2008, recovered January 2009, thin but healthy, within two blocks of the escape point where he escaped his pet sitter. No one had fed the cat — she finally started setting feeding stations all around in the snow, after searching far afield, and stumbled upon him on January 7, 2009 and managed to shove him into the trap rather than set it.

I had contacted the numbers on the poster. One was completely useless and the other one was good. I got two names for people that may be able to get me some information. I’m not saying who because I don’t want them bombarded with calls. I will contact them on Monday as today is a holiday.

I got an email back from Edmonton Humane Society who will also be looking into this for me. They will see if they can get a good contact. I know they are a kill shelter but they do have a lot of clout and AC is private property, so it’s up to them to decide who to let on for another search, or even IF they can because of safety and security.

If they say they can’t because of safety and security, I don’t believe them. My roommate works a contract at the airport (painting) from time to time, and all they need is to be escorted by one person with security clearance. One person in his company has clearance and allowed to escort so many people. The airports are full of private contractors who operate this way.

This security excuse has gone to far — oh, I know, it’s all an Al Qaeda plot: Terrorist disguised as pet owner purposely let pet escape so they can infiltrate and bomb the Edmonton Airport …

I know, Judith. I agree, but ultimately, the ball is in their court and we have to use our positive powers of persuasion to have them co-operate. I’ve never been one to use sugar over vinegar to catch flies, but there are definitely times when it works better, lol.

If they are setting traps by the border of the airport and Leduc, maybe that’s why they’re catching “ferals” and not George. I think they need to set traps between the escape point and the nearest outbuidlings, if he’s outside.

The employees’ search of the ramp area early on is well and good, but when one of my cats is hiding, I can’t even find it in a single uncluttered room half the time, let alone in the yard, if it doesn’t want to be found. I’ve had many a near heart attack frantically looking for one of them and missing it over and over! That’s why trapping must be intensive despite not finding George near the ramps the employees searched. If they gave up on those areas, it’s a mistake.

OK, this is getting frustrating. Maybe someone can enlighten me. I signed up for FaceBook so I can take part in the conversation and efforts for George. It let me create my account. It sent me an email to click on as the “one last step” and then I verified the account. I put some information in my account and changed the settings. No problem. I sent Bonnie Folz account a query as to if it was the correct Bonnie. No problem. I went to the George page and “liked” it. No problem. As soon as I hit the enter key for a reply that I was posting, it said I wasn’t logged in. When I hit the log in button, it asked to type out the words in the box, THEN it said I needed to enter a mobile phone number so it can text me another number to enter. No mobile, no FB. Is this normal FB behavior or is something going on? Maybe I didn’t do things correctly. If any FB expert can help here…

Air Canada has just answered a few questions on their Face Book page. It seems now they are trying to appear helpful. It looks like we have to approach Air Canada Cargo and the Airport port authority see here i copied and pasted coversation incase it get deleted or burried under other stuff.
//Air Canada Please see Robin’s Comment from Monday, we already posted an update there.
27 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Kay Chittenden would you object to thermal immaging or ‘push cameras’ being used? A company has offered to supply equipment.Cat experts believe George would be hiding near where he had the bad experience, terrified cats hunker down in hidden crevices too frightened to move.
18 minutes ago · LikeUnlike · 1Loading….Air Canada That would be upto Air Canada Cargo & Edmonton Airport Authority. We cannot comment on Cargo/Airport Authority issues.
15 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Kay Chittenden A.C thanks for your reply.
15 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Bea Simon I agree with you Kay. We know George is still in the airport hiding. The right thing for AC to do is use the cameras now!!
14 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Air Canada Bea: Again this is a Air Canada Cargo issue, we do not handle Cargo issues on this page. We have given updates provided by them, but they are a separate entity. Thanks
13 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Bea Simon AC, could you please stir us into the right direction.Are you saying Edmonton neeeds to give permission to use the cameras? Merci.
12 minutes ago · LikeUnlike.Air Canada Bea: I can’t be of more help, again this would need to be a decision made by Air Canada Cargo and or Edmonton Airport Authority. You can try to contact them through the air canada cargo website.
11 minutes ago · UnlikeLike · 1Loading….Bea Simon Thank you
11 minutes ago · UnlikeLike · 1Loading….Kay Chittenden Thank you AC- would you be happy to work with EAA or ACC to make sure all concerned have a good idea where to search. Would ACC know where George became detatched from his kennel the 2nd time and final time he was sighted ? The search would need to radiate from that point.
3 minutes ago · LikeUnlike · 1Loading….Air Canada They would have all that info.
about a minute ago · UnlikeLike · 1Loading…. //

Just type in your regular phone number instead. It’s supposedly to create a security question to help prevent your account from being hacked or something. Your regular phone number or a fake one you can remember should work fine.

Interesting comments from Adam Hickey and Duane Clark — especially about air cargo shipping George, not Air Canada. If air cargo shipped, then why is AC involved in the search and why is the spokesperson who talked to the media from AC? In any case, we will get to the right person.

I was wondering, as well, if AC supplied kennels or if the shipper did. Any way you slice it, kennels should be secured with zip ties everywhere and THAT should be a requirement. So now that I know the governing body, thanks to Adam Hickey, is IATA, we know which door to knock on for changes in legislation.

When you click on Air Canada Cargo (AC Live) in red print, you get info and frequently asked questions at bottom, the last being, What are Air Canada Cargo’s responsibilities as a carrier of live animals? The answer seems to be just verifying documents. Above that FAQ is, What are my responsibilities as a shipper? And part of that is, “Ensure that containers or kennels provided conform to IATA’s Live Animals Regulations.” But I can’t actually find IATA’s Live Animal Regulations. Maybe I’m just too tired tonight to read all the fine print.

I have a sky kennel, though I’ve never flown any of mine. It is a very sturdy unit with screw-in bolts to keep the top and bottom together. The door works on a spring. I’m going to contact them and ask about drilling extra holes as a standard manufacturing procedure to accommodate zip ties so the top and bottom halves and the door can be secured. I’ll be busy Monday!

Interesting comments from Adam Hickey and Duane Clark on FB– especially about air cargo shipping George, not Air Canada. If air cargo shipped, then why is AC involved in the search and why is the spokesperson who talked to the media from AC? In any case, we will get to the right person.

I was wondering, as well, if AC supplied kennels or if the shipper did. Any way you slice it, kennels should be secured with zip ties everywhere and THAT should be a requirement. So now that I know the governing body, thanks to Adam Hickey, is IATA, we know which door to knock on for changes in legislation.

happy to try and help , very similar pattern to Jacks story even down to Airplane anoracs on the social networks that wont have a bad word said about their passion- flying ! While you and me know little about aircraft they sure as hell no nothing about cats or how someone could possibly feel bereaved if one is lost or dies in front of them.
I guess Georges owner would have booked flight for George with Air Canada , they took her money for a service they didnt deliver now they are passing the buck to Air Canada Cargo whom as they havnt produced the ‘lost goods’ with in a certain period of time now probably are responsible to compensate for Georges loss. While they are ‘passing the monkey around ‘ it will be harder to find someone to step up and take charge of a proper search operation.
At the end of the day- all we’re interested in is George, i do hope something possitive comes from the Cargo and AC rep you are expecting to talk with and maybe we can all email ACC from the details on their web page and continue our publicity drive.. good night and best wishes Friends of George . K

I have just received an email from someone in Leduc who said they saw a black and white cat cross the service road right beside the airport this evening and they were going to go investigate. This is right across the street from the airport, folks. I’ve asked her to put out tuna in a carrier or even a 5 gallon pail on its side in the area it was spotted if they can’t find it tonight. Don’t know if it’s George, but in any case, a cat will have food tonight.

Oh!!! This sounds like George! Did they say the cat looks like the poster photo, or were they unable to see that clearly? It sounds like they felt it was an unusual enough thing to see on the service road if they checked Craigslist and went to investigate.

When you get hold of the people in charge of the food stations and trapping or that cat rescue group Little Cats Lost that was supposed to be helping, they must set a trap there. Little Cats Lost would probably know the best spot to put it. I hope the person who contacted you agrees to continue to set up a feeding station for now.

Claudia, from your Craigslist posting, I wasn’t sure … is George normally an indoor-outdoor cat, or an indoor-only cat, or do we know?

I don’t know if George is an indoor or indoor-outdoor, but people are more likely to feel bad about it if he’s an indoor only, so that’s what I posted. This person actually saw my ad on Kijiji and they work at the airport! I will be trying to spread the word out there through her if I can.

The rescue group working to find George has been in contact with the owner. She is in an area with unreliable communication services and that is why we have not heard from her. She is aware of everything that is being done. There is a new poster with George’s pictures on it that shows what he looks like even better than the original. There is no conspiracy going on here. There are just not that many people that know what is going on at this point, but the important players are getting the work done as best they can. Edmonton International has been very cooperative in the search for George and the person coordinating the search has been granted access and permission to do certain things. Getting the word out to all employees of all surrounding businesses is important right now and efforts are being focused there as well as following up on potential sightings.

Where exactly was he last seen? Air Canada Cargo is a seperate building on the the service road from the main terminal where the aircraft are loaded. The cargo is brought by cart from one building to another. Was he lost at the cargo building or the terminal? What gate number? I will help look for him, just need some more info as to where he was last seen.

He escaped on the tarmac between the plane and area where they unload the cargo. I really don’t know what gate number it was. If you contact Little Cats Lost, they will likely be able to tell you the gate number.

A potential sighting happened on Friday by an employee. A black and white cat crossed the service road between 6th and 7th avenues heading toward the Canadian North hangar.

Don’t know if it was George, but any sighting should be investigated. We already do have an employee in the area following up on that lead. There’s the thought that that area is a bit of a distance from where he first ran off but it has been over a month since this happened, so anything is possible.

They definitely need to follow that lead. How far would it be from the escape point? Here in Vancouver, “displaced” cats are often found within two to five blocks of home, but I think its partly because the density of cats in cities is high and the further you go, the more likely to get in a fight in another cat’s territory. But at the airport, there should be a low density of cats so George might have gone farther, more akin to cats’ greater range in a rural area, especially given the time he’s been out. So I really hope they are setting food if not traps. The trail cameras would be great if they are having to bungee cord the traps open. At this time of year, the traps shouldn’t be set unless they are being checked extremely frequently. I am not sure the temprature in Edmonton right now, but the cameras could determine George at a food station and then go in for the capture. There are so many trail cameras on the market now. Canadian Tire always has a lot of kinds, If Little Cats Lost is willing to set up cameras, I will donate some money for purchase. The ones I use are Bushnell Trail Sentry with night vision. They are end of the line so under $100 — if Edmonton Canadian Tire still has any, or a hunting store (usually more expensive there thouhg). Walmart sells some trail cams too, I think. Missing Pet Partnership I believe recommends a Moultrie trail cam — the model number is on their website somewhere — but I don’t know if that brand is in Canada or not.

Let me know, Little Cats Lost … I will donate specifically for purchase of two cameras. They will undoubtedly be a good tool for other work you do too. I lend mine to the cat rescue here in Vancouver and they sometimes prove extremely helpful.

Aside from the sighting above though, I hope the food stations are being kept up at all outbuildings where there is easy access for a cat, emanating outward from the escape point, as George could be keeping warm and hiding in any one of those and that is a likely scenario.

Thanks so much, Judith. She just might take you up on that. I’ve offered as well and I’d be ordering the Moultrie Game Spy 80. I think the range on it, clarity, snapshot speed and recovery time are ideal for this situation. I haven’t checked out the one you use but I’m sure the more cameras made available to her, the better. I’m waiting for her email. I know she had a lot to do between yesterday and tomorrow so I don’t expect to hear anything until at least Wed or Thurs.

Hi Claudia. Okay, if you’re talking to her, let her know. I think we should both go with the Moultrie Game Spy 80 if that’s the Missing Pet Partnership recommended one. I think it’s easier if they use the same camera, easier to figure out the instructions and get used to the same cam.

Did you find a place that sells them in Canada, or a good place to order them from online?

I think I’m going to try a Moultrie too for myself. The Bushnells take great video clips, especially good in cramped quarters where I’ve often had to hide a feeding station, but only the older models (no longer available, it seems) have an event recorder that records the times the video clips were taken. Plus, they really eat batteries. Plus, maybe it’s just me, but I’ve just had to send off two for repair … again.

I have sent a suggestion to Little Cats Lost regarding getting infrared night vision trail cameras for the feeding stations around the area. We’ll see if that might be a go once I hear from them. Those work great for hunters, can’t see why it wouldn’t work in this situation.

Also, what’s happening with the thermographer? Is that still possible? Would that technology be able to tell if George is hiding in one of the outbuildings or are there too many heat sources within those buildings? Would it only be good if George is hiding somewhere outside?

LCL is going to the airport today to see if she can get permission to do all this stuff (cameras, thermographer, etc.) Thermography can pinpoint areas of interest inside and outside. The trouble is that there are so many places to look, it might be a daunting task and where would one start. There have been contacts made within EIA that will help search for cat tracks in the snow and areas where businesses and hangars are feeding ferals. I think cameras and trapping will be concentrated in these areas — makes sense. I will be hearing from LCL after she speaks with the people that are in charge today.

The Moultrie cameras are a little pricey in Canada and considerably less in the US. Probably cheaper to get online even with shipping and exchange. Will sort it all out after I get the OK from LCL. Maybe I’d be able to get a discount from Cabelas or wherever because it’s going to a charity.

The Edmonton Humane Society FB page announced the sad news that George was found deceased :'(
So many who cared and tried to come together to help bring him
home. I hope it will bring some comfort to
his owners.

Another very sad day in pet air travel history. Condolences go out to Vanessa. Many tears have been shed over this here. Our focus needs to turn to changing the system. I have already queried the recommended kennel manufacturer about making meaningful modifications to their design with no response as of yet. I will also be putting recommendations together for IATA Canada with the hope of setting new airline policies and procedures for cargo travel. As much as I don’t believe pets should travel in cargo, I would be a fool to think the airlines and people traveling will stop this practice. If it doesn’t stop, let’s make it as safe and foolproof as possible — because it’s nowhere near that now.

I can’t find it on the Edmonton Humane Society Facebook page. Can someone direct me to the spot? (And shouldn’t Vanessa be announcing it to the world, rather than EHS since all the officials who could have helped didn’t because they were so concerned about confidentiality a week ago?) Who, what, when, where, why was George found? We need to know these answers to help find future pets lost in airports. It’s not idle curiosity. We can solidify future search efforts by learning lessons from Jack and George, and Tessa at YVR last year. With all the publcity about Jack, I still can’t find out how far from the escape point he was found. If cats are consistently found very close to their escape point, we can use this in the future to beat down the excuses by airport authorities that it is too big a place to allow in searchers, for one example. And maybe we can start finding cats before it’s too late.

I wholeheartedly agree and we are trying our best to get those questions answered. Ultimately, the only people that know are the ones who called Vanessa and, if Vanessa asked those questions, she would be the only other who knows.

The post on the EHS page was by someone other than EHS. And it was very brief and without further explanation. I would not takeit as gospel without confirmation from the owner. It was a very odd post…scroll down their page and you will come across it.

Oh wait – I just saw the post that it was a female cat found dead and George might still be alive! Which then begs the question …. whose cat is it that they found dead? Another lost cat at the airport right around the same time as George! Hmmmmm …..

Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea
shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She
placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but
I had to tell someone!